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Florida baseball's Aidan King was named the 2026 SEC Pitcher of the Year by the conference on Monday, while also being named to the All-SEC First Team as a starting pitcher.
The sophomore right-hander began the season as the Gators' Saturday starter, but between strong early performances and a step back from erstwhile Friday starter Liam Peterson, King was elevated to the ace role ahead of a crucial series against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. He continued to dominate after his ascension, earning the National Pitcher of the Month award for April.
King did not miss a single turn on the mound this spring, leading the SEC with 14 starts as well as a microscopic 0.93 WHIP and a suffocating .199 batting average against. His 2.50 ERA was second-best in the SEC while ranking third in the conference in walks per nine (1.82), fifth in hits allowed per nine (6.58), fifth in innings pitched (79 1/3), fifth in wins (eight) and seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.25).
The Jacksonville, Florida, native logged a team-high eight quality starts, including six in SEC play, allowing 58 hits — only three of which were home runs — and 16 walks while striking out 84 opposing batters. King averaged 6 2/3 innings per outing against SEC opponents for a conference second-best 62 frames of work, across which he posted a .184 batting average against and tied the league lead for wins at six.
Over his last 19 starts dating back to last season, King put up a 12-3 record with a 1.91 ERA and 112-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 118 innings pitched. He looks to continue his success in the postseason, starting on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament's second round.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball's Aidan King named SEC Pitcher of the Year for 2026
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The sophomore right-hander began the season as the Gators' Saturday starter, but between strong early performances and a step back from erstwhile Friday starter Liam Peterson, King was elevated to the ace role ahead of a crucial series against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. He continued to dominate after his ascension, earning the National Pitcher of the Month award for April.
King did not miss a single turn on the mound this spring, leading the SEC with 14 starts as well as a microscopic 0.93 WHIP and a suffocating .199 batting average against. His 2.50 ERA was second-best in the SEC while ranking third in the conference in walks per nine (1.82), fifth in hits allowed per nine (6.58), fifth in innings pitched (79 1/3), fifth in wins (eight) and seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.25).
The Jacksonville, Florida, native logged a team-high eight quality starts, including six in SEC play, allowing 58 hits — only three of which were home runs — and 16 walks while striking out 84 opposing batters. King averaged 6 2/3 innings per outing against SEC opponents for a conference second-best 62 frames of work, across which he posted a .184 batting average against and tied the league lead for wins at six.
Over his last 19 starts dating back to last season, King put up a 12-3 record with a 1.91 ERA and 112-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 118 innings pitched. He looks to continue his success in the postseason, starting on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament's second round.
2026 SEC Baseball Awards
- Player of the Year: Daniel Jackson, Georgia
- Pitcher of the Year: Aidan King, Florida
- Freshman of the Year: Anthony Pack Jr., Texas
- Newcomer of the Year: Aiden Robbins, Texas
- Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
- Coach of the Year: Wes Johnson, Georgia
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball's Aidan King named SEC Pitcher of the Year for 2026
Continue reading...
